Front loading trailer and method of use

ABSTRACT

A trailer for hauling heavy equipment includes front end loading assembly that allows hitching and loading, a trailer bed, and a set of rear wheels. Longitudinally aligned support beams from the trailer bed, ends terminating at the front end loading assembly. The front end loading assembly comprises a low profile trailer front end section that uses a box beam positioned between the support beams and a pickup shaft of the assembly. The low profile front end section reduces the height of the front end of the trailer, thereby allowing loading of small equipment, while maintaining its load carrying and transmitting capability for heavy equipment. The trailer can be modular in design with removable ramp and trailer bed side sections.

[0001] This application claims priority under 5USC 119(e) based onprovisional patent application No. 60/444,867 filed on Feb. 5, 2003,60/458,042 filed on Mar. 28, 2003, 60/461,795 filed on Apr. 11, 2003,and 60/467,132 filed on May 2, 2003.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention is directed to a front loading trailer anda method of use, and in particular, to a trailer system that employs abox beam construction at a front end thereof that allows loading ofsmall equipment without compromising the trailer load capacity for heavyduty equipment, and is modular in nature.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] In the field of heavy duty mining or construction, a number ofdifferent types of trailers (often referred to as lowboys) are utilizedto move equipment such as shovels, earth moving apparatus and the like.Some trailers are rear loading meaning that the equipment to be hauledis loaded onto the trailer bed from the trailer rear, whereby the frontend is used for hitching the trailer to a hauling vehicle.

[0004] Other trailers are front loading, wherein a front end portion ofthe trailer serves a dual capacity as a hitching point for trailermovement, and a loading/unloading point for equipment to be hauled.

[0005]FIG. 1 shows a typical lowboy trailer 90 having a trailer bed 91for supporting heavy machinery 92, a gooseneck hitching assembly 93, ahauling vehicle 95, trailer wheels 97 (one shown), and a trailer axleassembly represented by numeral 99. The gooseneck hitching assembly 93is disclosed in Smith's U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,586, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety. Other heavier duty trailersof this type can be used with a drive for the rear wheels.

[0006] As shown in FIGS. 1-2B, the trailer 90 has a front end assembly101 that links to center support rails 103 and outside rails 103′ at aninterface 102, the rails 103, 103′ extending longitudinally along atleast the trailer bed length. Generally, the center rails 103 extendbeyond the trailer bed to provide support for the axle assembly 99.Although not shown, wooden or other material decking extends along thesupport rails 103, 103′ to provide a travel and support surface for theequipment during loading, unloading, and transport.

[0007] The assembly 101 is formed with a box beam construction. That is,a number of plates and support members are arranged and connectedtogether to form an integral box-like structure that can transmit forcesapplied during raising of the trailer to the trailer support rails 103,103′ and cross members as described below. The assembly 101 includes atop plate 104, which further comprises two ramp sections 105, and acenter section 107. Also provided are side walls 109 and a bottom plate111. A pickup shaft 113 is positioned in an opening 114, the shaft 113held in place by four vertical plates 115 that extend between theinterface 102 and the bottom plate 111. The center plate 107 also has araised contact surface 117 to receive the tow member 122 of the hitchassembly 93, but the entire plate could act as a contact surface if sodesired. A number of other longitudinal members make up the box beam,including insert plates 116 that extend beyond the interface 102, andangled insert plates 118. Each of the insert plates provides furtherstrengthening against the load traveling across the ramp plates 105.U-shaped plates 120 extend beyond the interface 102 and a portionthereof buts against a web 122 of each rail 103, 103′, the plates 120facilitating attachment between the assembly 101 and the rails 103,103′. In general, the various plates and members are either welded orbolted together to form the overall assembly 101.

[0008] As shown in FIG. 2B, the trailer bed with rails 103, 103′(preferably I-shaped in cross section) employs cross members 106 (alsopreferably I-shaped) that are arranged at spaced apart intervals alongthe trailer bed length.

[0009] Prior to an exemplary loading procedure and with reference toFIG. 1 again, the front end assembly 101 of the trailer is laid on aground surface, and the hitch assembly 93 is removed. Equipment is thendriven onto the trailer bed, and the trailer front end is lifted in thefollowing manner. With the tow member 122 in a raised position byretraction of a piston (not shown) connected at 124, the hitch 123 ofthe assembly 93 is positioned beneath the pickup shaft 113. The grabhook 125 pivots downwardly to engage the shaft 113 so that it issecurely held by the hook 125 and hitch 123. Then, the tow member 122 islowered to contact the center plate 107 and contact area 117. Once incontact with the center plate and contact surface, further extension ofthe piston raises the trailer as shown in FIG. 1. During this liftingoperation, the lifting force is tremendous, and a heavy duty box beamconstruction, including the ramp portions, is required to evenlydistribute the load initially applied to the front end assembly of thetrailer to the ends of the four longitudinal support rails 103, 103′.Because of immense trailer loads, i.e., the support rails are typicallydimensioned with 30 inch heights, and the box beam dimension at theinterface 102 approximates this height. The front end assembly thentapers from this height to its free end.

[0010] One problem with these types of lowboy trailers is theirinability to easily accommodate equipment that may be smaller in sizethan the machinery that the trailer typically supports. Many of thesmall mining or construction machines or equipment have components withlow ground clearances due to their size. As a result and referring toFIG. 3, when loading a drilling machine 200, for example, the machinecomponent 201 may only have a ground clearance of 18 inches. Further,the component 201 is relatively close to the tracks 203 of the machine200. Consequently, if the machine were to be loaded the way largeequipment is loaded, the component 201 would strike the center plate 107before the tracks 203 of the machine reaches the trailer ramps 208.Consequently, alternative means must be employed to load these smallermachines onto the trailer bed. Loading blocks placed either at thetrailer front end or at spaced apart intervals from the trailer frontend have been used. However, in certain instances, the loading blocksmust be made higher than the front end initial height, thereby causingthe equipment to travel over a hump, and creating a state ofinstability. Other remedies include side loading of the trailer,although this creates safety issues, and runs counter to the purpose ofthe trailer's intended front end loading.

[0011] Therefore, a need has developed to provide a trailer, which cannot only load 200-400 ton and heavier equipment, but is also versatileenough to load smaller equipment without requiring modification of theloading procedure.

[0012] Merely changing the slope of the trailer by reducing the heightof the support beams is not a solution to the problem due to the loadsthat the trailer encounters during its lifting operation. Such a changewould compromise the load bearing ability of the front end assembly.

[0013] The invention solves the problem faced by the prior art byproviding a trailer front end assembly that is dimensioned to receivesmall equipment having components with a low ground clearance, whilestill maintaining the capability of supporting large equipment during aloading operation. The invention eliminates the need for anothertrailer, or time-consuming and/or unsafe loading procedures with a largetrailer. The invention also provides a reduction in manufacturing costsand trailer assembly time/costs by simplifying the design of the frontend assembly, and reduces the number of load bearing components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] It is a first object of the present invention to provide animproved front end loading trailer using a longitudinally/centrallylocated box beam construction.

[0015] It is another object of the present invention to provide a frontend loading trailer that is capable of loading small and large pieces ofequipment without having to alter the loading method for the smallequipment.

[0016] Yet another object of the invention is a method of loading apiece of equipment onto a front end loading trailer using a gooseneckhitch, wherein forces applied during hitching are translatedlongitudinally and centrally along the trailer so that the trailer frontend can be tapered to dimensions permitting small equipment loading.

[0017] One other object is a front end loading trailer that is modularin design, so that the trailer can be easily assembled on site.

[0018] Still another object of the invention is a method of trailerassembly or construction, wherein a vast majority of the trailercomponents can be bolted together on site.

[0019] A further object of the invention is the capability of combiningover-the-road use of trailer with off-road use for ease of transport toa site, and the ability to use the trailer for hauling light duty itemsover-the-road.

[0020] One other object of the invention is the use of an adapter blockassembly to allow the inventive trailer to be used with gooseneckhitches designed for prior art trailers.

[0021] Yet another object of the invention is the use of a trailermounting arrangement that can be fixed or removable and that allows theelimination of bends in the trailer rails, while still permitting arigid support of the trailer rear axle, and providing a site for easyfender attachment and resting of equipment components when loaded ontothe trailer.

[0022] Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent asthe description thereof proceeds.

[0023] In satisfaction of the foregoing objects and advantages, thepresent invention offers a number of improvements in the field of frontloading trailers. One improvement involves trailers known to have afront loading end, a trailer bed, and a rear wheeled end. The trailerhas a number of longitudinally aligned trailer bed support rails, and afront end assembly, whereby the front end assembly has a pick up shaftarrangement, a hitch contact area, and opposing ramp sections. Theinvention provides a tapered box beam extending from the pickup shaftarrangement that links to a center end portion of the trailer bed. Thecenter portion is spaced from sides of the trailer bed, and the taperedbox beam includes at least two tapered box beam rails. An end of eachtapered box beam rail is aligned with a respective trailer bed supportrail. The box beam uses the tapered box beam rails as side wallsthereof, with the box beam top and bottom portions completing the boxconfiguration. The top portion of the beam also includes the hitchcontact area.

[0024] The trailer can include at least a pair of tapered side rails,the at least two tapered box beam rails disposed between the taperedside rails. Cross members are provided to interconnect the side rails,successive heights of the cross members following the tapers of the siderails and the at least two tapered box beam rails.

[0025] The invention also entails a method of lifting lowboy trailersthat have a trailer bed and a gooseneck hitch, wherein a hook of thehitch couples to a pickup shaft, and a tow member of the hitch applies alifting force to the trailer front end assembly to pivot the gooseneckand raise the trailer. According to the improved method of theinvention, a tapered box beam is provided that extends from the pickupshaft along a trailer length.

[0026] The trailer is lifted using the gooseneck hitch whereby, duringlifting, the tapered box beam distributes the lifting load along the boxbeam length and to a central end portion of the trailer bed that isspaced from the sides of the trailer bed. The method can employ atapered box beam that includes the tapered side rails and the crossmembers. The tapered box beam arrangement distributes the lifting loadalong a center portion of the front end assembly, and also distributesat least a portion of the lifting load to a center portion of an end ofa trailer bed of the trailer, the center portion being spaced from sidesof the trailer bed. The load is distributed laterally of the centerportion to the side rails using the cross members.

[0027] Another aspect of the invention uses a trailer having a frontloading end and a rear wheeled end, with the trailer having a number oflongitudinally aligned trailer load support rails and a front endassembly. The front end assembly has a pick up shaft arrangement, hitchcontact area, and opposing ramp sections. This trailer includes acentral box beam including top and bottom portions, and at least taperedbox beam rails as walls of the box beam. The central box beam extendsfrom the pickup shaft arrangement to at least a trailer bed frontportion, with the at least two support rails aligned with two centralsupport rails that further extend a length of the trailer. A trailer bedassembly is provided that has a pair of trailer bed side sections andcross members, each trailer bed side section linked to the centralsupport rails via the cross members. A pair of ramp sections areprovided that are removably attachable to the trailer bed assembly atthe trailer bed front portion, the box beam being longitudinallydisposed between the ramp sections. The cross members can extend throughthe center support rails or extend laterally and outwardly from thecenter support rails. The trailer can include at least one axle assemblyattached to the at least two trailer support rails or a removable axleassembly attached to rear ends of the center support rails.

[0028] In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of constructinga front end loading trailer comprises providing a central box beamincluding top and bottom portions, and at least two tapered supportrails, the central box beam extending from a pickup shaft arrangement toat least a trailer bed front portion, the at least two tapered supportrails aligned with center support rails that extend a length of thetrailer. Trailer bed side sections are provided and are attached tocross members linked to the center support rails to form the trailerbed. The cross members can extend through the center support rails, orextend laterally and outwardly from the center support rails.

[0029] A ramp section can be attached to either or both of the centralbox beam or the trailer bed assembly, the box beam being disposedlongitudinally between the ramp sections. The ramp sections can beremoved and reinstalled from the trailer.

[0030] The trailer or method described above can employ tapered railshaving webs and opposing flanges, the flanges forming part of the topand bottom portions of the box beam.

[0031] The trailer side bed sections linked to the central support railscan employ link plates and pins or opening-containing flanges and pinsto connect to the cross members. Each side bed section can also includea longitudinal rail between sides thereof, the longitudinal railpositioned to absorb crash down forces during trailer loading. The sidebed sections can have outer side rails, which are lighter in duty thanthe longitudinal rail designed to absorb the crash down impact.

[0032] The inventive trailer or method of constructing can also use aremovable axle assembly attached to ends of the center support rails.The removable axle assembly can be a single assembly for off-road use ora dual assembly for over-the-road use. When using the dual assembly, oneof the dual assemblies is attached to ends of the center support rails.

[0033] When constructing the trailer, the trailer can be used in anover-the-road use and then retrofitted for off-road use. In this mode,and prior to attaching the trailer bed side sections to the centerrails, the trailer with the center box beam and center rails isconfigured with a width to allow over-the road travel to and to form anover-the road trailer. In this configuration, the dual over-the-road useaxle assembly is attached to the over-the road trailer. The over-theroad trailer is driven to a site so that the trailer bed side sectionsand a single off-road use assembly replaces the over-the-road dual axleassembly to form an off-road trailer. One or both of the single off-roaduse axle assembly and trailer bed side sections can be loaded onto theover-the-road trailer prior to the driving it to the off-roaddestination site

[0034] The trailer or method of construction can utilize at least oneadapter block mounted to the trailer for movement between a stored andan operating position. The adapter block rests on a top surface portionof the trailer in the operating position, the block having a tworeceiving surface for trailer lifting. As an alternative to one block, apair of separately pivotal blocks can be employed.

[0035] In yet another aspect of the invention, the trailer support railsare configured in a straight alignment at a rear end portion thereof. Apair of rear axle mounting plates are provided that are adapted toconnect to respective rear ends of the trailer support rails in avertical orientation, with the rear axle mounting plates rigidlysupporting a rear axle. The axle mounting plate can be welded to therear ends or removably attached thereto. The plates can include surfacesfor resting of one of more components being hauled on the trailer.Fenders can be mounted to and extending laterally across the rear axlemounting plates. Portions the plates containing the resting surfaces canextend through openings in the fenders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Reference is now made to the drawings of the invention wherein:

[0037]FIG. 1 shows a typical prior art trailer;

[0038]FIG. 2A is a plan view of the front end assembly of the prior arttrailer of FIG. 1;

[0039]FIG. 2B is a partial side view of a prior art front end assemblyand trailer bed of FIG. 1;

[0040]FIG. 3 shows an initial loading step of the trailer of FIG. 1 witha piece of small equipment;

[0041]FIG. 4A shows a top view of one embodiment of the invention;

[0042]FIG. 4B shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 4A;

[0043]FIG. 5 shows a top view of another and partially disassembledembodiment of the invention;

[0044]FIG. 6 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 5; and

[0045]FIG. 7 shows a plan view and alternative attachment arrangementsfor the embodiment of FIG. 4;

[0046]FIG. 8 shows a side view of one of the attachment arrangements ofFIG. 7;

[0047]FIG. 9 shows a side view detail of the other attachmentarrangement of FIG. 7;

[0048]FIG. 10 is a side view of the trailer assembly of FIG. 7,including a removable rear axle arrangement; and

[0049]FIG. 11 is a schematic of a trailer crash down problem;

[0050]FIG. 12 is a top view of yet another embodiment of the invention;

[0051]FIG. 13 is a side view along the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 12;

[0052]FIG. 14 is a top view of an off-road configuration of theinventive lowboy trailer;

[0053]FIG. 15 is a side view of the configuration of FIG. 14;

[0054]FIG. 16 is a top view of an over-the road configuration of theinventive lowboy trailer;

[0055]FIG. 17 is a side view of the configuration of FIG. 16;

[0056]FIG. 18 is a schematic top view of an adapter block assemblyinstalled in the inventive trailer;

[0057]FIG. 19 is an enlarged side view of the arrangement of FIG. 18;and

[0058]FIG. 20 is a side view schematic of an axle mounting arrangementfor a trailer;

[0059]FIG. 21 is side view schematic of the axle mounting arrangement ofFIG. 20 as part of a removable axle assembly;

[0060]FIG. 22 is a top view of the base member of the arrangement ofFIG. 21;

[0061]FIG. 23 is an end view along the line XXII-XXII of FIG. 22;

[0062]FIG. 24 shows the axle mounting arrangement of FIG. 23 mounted toa trailer and including fenders;

[0063]FIG. 25 shows a top and side view of fenders mounted to the axlemounting arrangement of FIG. 24.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0064] The present invention offers significant advantages in the fieldof hauling machinery of various sizes. Instead of having to employloading blocks, side loading, or having more than one trailer, onetrailer can be utilized for hauling equipment of large and small size.In addition, the overall cost of the trailer is reduced since the boxbeam construction of the front end loading assembly is greatlysimplified.

[0065] In addition, the inventive box beam concept of the invention canbe incorporated in existing trailers, so that a trailer owner does nothave to purchase another trailer. This is a significant attraction forthe prior art trailer owner since these trailers are designed to haulequipment weighing hundreds of tons, and are quite expensive.

[0066] Another advantage of the invention is a trailer design, which ismodular in concept, and permits the trailer to be shipped and/orassembled in a cost efficient manner. The trailer design incorporatesthe central box beam construction, and allows for the use of separateramp sections, and separate trailer bed side sections.

[0067]FIGS. 4A and 4B show a partial view of one embodiment of theinvention that is designated by the reference numeral 10. The trailerincludes a pickup shaft arrangement 11, opposing ramp sections 13 withcleats 15, a longitudinal and tapered box beam assembly 17, taperedoutside support rails 19 (preferably I-shaped in cross section), araised tow member contact area 21 (optional), and cross members 23.Decking 25 that spans the cross members 23 and support rails 103, 103′is removed in part to show detail.

[0068] The open part of the pickup shaft arrangement 11 is essentiallythe same as used in the prior art trailer, with a shaft 20 and verticalplates 22, the plates 22 extending from the end of the arrangement 11,becoming part of the box beam assembly 17, and extending to where theramp sections 13 meet the outside members 19, interface B.

[0069] The box beam assembly 17 includes top and bottom plates 26 and27. Top plate 26 longitudinally extends from interface A to interface Cwhere the box beam assembly 17 links to the support rails 103. Theserails can be the same type as used in the prior art design, which aresubstantially greater in height and only match the tapered rails wherethey attach. The bottom plate 27 can extend for the same length as thetop plate, or as shown, extend to the end 29 of the trailer 10 to anchorthe vertical plates 22. The plates 26 and 27 extend between flanges ofthe two tapered longitudinally disposed rails 31, such that the flangesbecome part of the top and bottom surfaces of the top and bottom plates.Of course, other beam construction could be employed, for example, topand bottom plates would be placed above/below the rail flanges.

[0070] The rails 31 are similar to the outside tapered rails 19, exceptthat the outside rails 19 extend between interface B and interface Cwhereas the rails 19 terminate at the ramp sections 13. The taperedrails 31 extend between interfaces A and C, and align with rails 103 atinterface C. At interface C, rail flanges 32 of the rails 103 are shown.The u-shape member 34 facilitates attachment of the rails 31 to rails103, similar to the connection at interface 102 in FIG. 2A.

[0071] The cross members 23 extend between the outside rails 19, andpass through the openings (not shown) in rails 31. As shown in FIG. 4B,the heights of the cross beams 23 taper downward towards the trailer end29, the successive change in height corresponding to the taper of thebeams 19 and 31.

[0072] The box beam assembly 17, in effect, replaces the entire frontend box beam assembly of the prior art assembly as shown in FIGS. 1-2B.Thus, the load imposed when the tow member contacts the tow membercontact area 17 is first transmitted to the box beam 17. At least aportion of the load is then distributed amongst the cross members 23 tothe outside rails 19, and ultimately to the outer support rails 103′, aremainder of the load being carried by the center support rails. Withthe box beam, the rails 19 and 31 can be tapered without loss of loadbearing capability, and provide a front end loading assembly of reducedheight as compared to the prior art design. For example, at end 29, aheight of 6 inches can be employed and a height of 16 inches can be usedat interface B. This 16 inch height contrasts with the 30 inches in theprior art design. The 30 inch height found in the prior art is movedfurther away from the trailer end 29 to interface C wherein the taperedbeams 19 and 31 meet the support rails 103 and 103′. With the reducedheight at interface B, and small piece of equipment such as the drillingmachine of FIG. 3 can be loaded onto the trailer without the need forside loading or loading blocks or ramps.

[0073] It should be understood that the box beam construction thatconnects to the rails 103, 103′could be employed without the rails 19,such that the load imposed on the box beam 17 would be transmitted tothe central rails 103 of the trailer bed. The next embodiment betterillustrates this aspect of the invention.

[0074] The box beam design can also be used in conjunction with anexisting trailer. That is, the front end assembly and a portion of thelongitudinal support rails of the trailer 90 of FIG. 1 could be removed,leaving exposed ends of the rails 103, 103′. Then the box beam 17, withor without the cross members 23 and outer rails 19 could be used forconnection to the exposed ends of the rails 103, 103′. The pickup shaftarrangement and ramps could be attached to the box beam 17 before orafter attachment to the exposed ends of the rails 103, 103′.

[0075] The presence of the centrally aligned box beam 17 also allows fora new method of trailer construction, and eliminates the need to involvethe ramp sections in load bearing duty. Because of the box beam 17, theramp sections merely have to support the load applied when the equipmentis traveling over the ramp sections, and the ramp construction can begreatly simplified. The ramp sections do not have to be integral partsof the front end assembly for trailer lifting as is the case in theprior art designs. This feature is illustrated in connection with thealternative trailer design discussed below.

[0076]FIGS. 5 and 6 show this alternative trailer design that employsthe central box beam construction, and further exemplifies removabletrailer ramp and bed sections. This trailer design allows for a muchsimpler trailer construction, wherein field welding and painting tasksare greatly reduced, thereby significantly reducing the time of trailerassembly. The trailer is designated by the reference numeral 40 andincludes a center box beam 42, removable ramp sections 43 (one shown),removable/separable main cross members 45, and removable/separabletrailer bed side sections 46.

[0077] The box beam 42 incorporates the box beam construction conceptfrom FIGS. 4A and 4B, but does so without the use of the trailer bedside rails and cross members. Moreover, the slope or the taper of thebox beam 42 is shown as a combination of a flat section and a slopedsection. This contrasts with the continuous slope shown FIGS. 4A and 4B.Either type of configuration of the box beam can be employed, or otherslope designs as long as the height of the assembly is reduced forhauling small equipment.

[0078] In the FIGS. 5 and 6 embodiment, the box beam 42 carries the loadimposed during trailer raising and transmits it to the center rails,whereas the FIGS. 4A and 4B embodiment transmits the load to all fourrails 103, 103′ via the box beam and side rails. As can be seen in FIG.5, only the separable trailer ramps 43 are adjacent the box beam.Because of the length of this box beam 42 and center rails 58, forcertain trailer design, the center components such as the box beam andrails 58 could be shipped separated, and welded together in the field.

[0079] The box beam 42 is adjacent a pickup shaft arrangement 47 whichparallels the one shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The box beam 42 extends fromthe pickup shaft arrangement 47 to at least interface E, and can extendjust beyond the interface line E. The box beam 42 includes two taperedsupport rails 51, a top plate 53, and a bottom plate (not shown). Aswith the embodiment of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the rails 51 are sized in heightto allow small equipment loading. The configuration of FIGS. 5 and 6shows the box beam as having a flat section 52 and a sloped section 54.The rails 51 would follow this profile. Of course, the profile of thebox beam can vary, e.g., a continuous slope or the like. It should alsobe understood that flanges of the rails 51 form parts of the top andbottom plates, similar to that described in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The boxbeam 42 is attached to the center rails 58 in the same fashion asdescribed in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the u-shaped member 60 allowing portionsthereof to be welded to the webs of rails 58. The rails 58 also areprovided with cross members 55, and extend to the trailer rear end 57.At the trailer rear end. The rails 58 are formed with a configurationallowing attachment of an axle assembly, the wheels 59 thereof shown.

[0080] The pair of removable trailer bed side sections 43 are provided,each including an outside rail 61, a number of cross beams 63, and aninside rail 65. The rails 58 and 61 have the same shape. The cross beams45 can be attached to the outside rails 61 in any fashion, bolting,welding, or the like. A ramp lug 67 is located on an end portion of eachrail 61 to assist in receiving the ramp section 43. Each rail 61 alsoincludes a pin 69 to facilitate attachment to the main cross members 45and box beam 42.

[0081] In order to assemble the trailer once all components are at anintended location, the box beam 42 and rails 58 are put in place, andraised off the ground for assembly. The removable main cross members 45are slid through an opening in the box beam 42 and an opening in rails58 (both not shown), and are bolted to the beam/rails at F. With themain cross members 45 secured in place, ramp lugs 71, similar to lugs67, are bolted in place on one of the main cross members 45 at positionsadjacent the center box beam 42.

[0082] The trailer bed side sections 45, with or without decking 70, arethen positioned so that the pins 69 can engage openings (not shown) inends of the main cross beams 45 and the rails 61 and beams 45 can bebolted together. If the decking is not in place, it can be installed atany later time.

[0083] The inner rails 65 are also bolted to the rails 58 to form thetrailer bed. As explained above, the box beam 42 transmits the load tothe center rails 58.

[0084] The ramp section 43 can be attached to the lugs 67 and 69 usingpins, rods, or any known attachment technique. As noted above, becauseof the box beam 42, the ramp sections 43 have a much lighter dutyconstruction than those used in the prior art trailers, and can be maderemovable or separable for ease of trailer construction. While the rampsections 43 are shown attached to the trailer bed assembly comprisingthe main cross beams 45 and side sections 46, the ramp sections could besupported by the main cross members, the box beam, or any combinationthereof.

[0085] Referring now to FIGS. 7-9, two alternative attachmentarrangements are depicted for connecting the side bed sections to thecentral rails of the trailer. While each arrangement is shown in FIG. 7,it should be understood that each arrangement would be used with respectto both trailer bed sections. Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, onearrangement is designated by the reference numeral 300 and includes bedsection 301 having an outside rail 303, a pair of cross beams 305 and anattachment arrangement 307. While two cross beams are disclosed, anoptional one in phantom is depicted.

[0086] The free end 309 of each cross beam has a pin 311 extendingupward from the top flange 313 of the beam 305. Extending through thecenter rails 315 are cross beams 316 similar to that shown in FIG. 4.However, in the embodiment of FIG. 7, only stubs 317 are needed fortrailer side bed connection, each stub 317 also having a pin 319extending from a top flange. The stubs 317 preferably match the profileof the cross beam 305, e.g., both have an I-beam cross section, butnon-matching profiles could be employed. The cross beam 316 can merelyinterface with the center rails 315 and does not have to extend throughthe center rails as described in the FIG. 4 embodiment. Each stub 317 islinked to the free end 309 by a link plate 321 having openings 323, oneopening receiving pin 311 and the other opening receiving pin 319.Although not shown, the link plate 321 can be held in place by a cotterpin or any other fastener or the like so that the plate would not slipoff the pins during trailer use. The stubs 317 can be attached to therails 315 by welding, bolting, combinations thereof, or any otherfastening means. In this arrangement, the free ends 309 of the crossmembers 305 are easily aligned with the stubs 317 for link platepositioning for rapid assembly and disassembly of the bed sections 301.As noted above, the cross beams 316 do not have to extend the full widthof the trailer body as is the case with the FIG. 4 embodiment; they onlyhave to extend between the center rails 315, and the stubs 317facilitate the side bed section attachment.

[0087] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 9, an alternative arrangement isdesignated by the reference numeral 400 and shows a side bed section 401having an outside rail 403, outer cross beams 405, inner cross beams406, inside connecting plate 407, and attachment arrangements 409. Theconnector plate 407 is sized to rest on the lower flange of rail 315 andbeneath its top flange, and interconnect the inner cross beams 406.

[0088] The arrangement 409 comprises an end flange 411 at the free endof each cross beam 405, each flange 411 having an opening sized toreceive the upstanding pin 413 of the stub 317′. The stub 317′ issimilar to stub 317 in that it can match the profile of the cross beam405, if so desired. In operation, the flange 411 merely has to be raisedto drop onto the stub with pin 413 entering the opening in the flange tolink the bed section 401 to the center rails 315. The connection can besecured with another fastener such as a cotter pin, nut, etc., or usethe weight of the side section 401 itself.

[0089] The bed side section 401 also has a plate 415, which is angledwith respect to a longitude of the trailer. The plate 415 extends fromend 417 of the beam 405 to the inner connecting plate 407. The plate 415and its connection to the plate 407 provides resistance to sway of theside bed section 401 with respect to the center rails 315.

[0090]FIGS. 7 and 10 also show a separable rear axle arrangement 450.With this arrangement, the center rails 315 terminate just beyond thetrailer bed for attachment to the rear axle arrangement 450, as opposedto FIG. 4 wherein the rails extend for axle support. The arrangement 450includes a pair of support rails 451, each having a connection end 453and pin 455. Each center rail 315 has a reduced height section 457, asurface thereof mating with a corresponding surface of the end 453. Eachrail also has a pin 459 extending therefrom. The axle assembly end 453is linked to the reduced height section 457 using a link plate havingtwo openings for engagement with pins 455 and 459. The link plate isheld in place with suitable fasteners to secure the link between theaxle and trailer bed. Of course, other connections could be employed tolink the rear axle and its support rails to the center rails 315 if sodesired.

[0091] The embodiment of FIGS. 7-9 offer improvements in that only stubsections 317, 317′ are needed to attach the trailer side section, thusgreatly easing trailer assembly and disassembly. The embodiment of FIGS.7 and 9 is especially advantageous in that the link plates are notnecessary, and attachment is even further simplified. In addition, amore sway resistant side section is created.

[0092] As noted above for FIG. 4, the box beam and rails 58 may be toolong for shipment and may have to be shipped in pieces, and weldedtogether in the field to form the entire assembly. However, and otherthan this welding, the entire trailer can be assembled by bolting.Further, painting of the components in the field can be minimized sincemost assembly uses bolting, and the components can be painted prior todelivery to a desired location.

[0093] The rails and cross members for use in the trailer are preferablymade with I-beam cross sections, thus allowing for utilization of theweb flanges for the plates of the box beam. But other types of railscould be employed, if so desired. The number of longitudinal rails andbeams can also vary across the width and length of the trailer bed. Forexample, more or less than the three cross members 55 could be used inthe trailer of FIGS. 5 and 6. Likewise, more than two rails could beemployed as part of one of the disclosed box beams.

[0094] The materials of the various trailer components can be any typesuitable for these types of loading carrying trailers.

[0095] It should be understood that, as a result of raising the frontend of the trailer using the gooseneck hitching assembly, the means fordistributing the lifting load down the center of the trailer and, ifapplicable, distributing at least some of the load laterally from thecenter for loading of various size equipment onto the trailer comprisesthe box beam assembly arranged adjacent the pickup shaft arrangement, orthe box beam, cross members and tapered outer rails. In the FIG. 4Aembodiment, the box beam cooperates with the lateral cross members,whereas in FIGS. 5 and 6, the box beam itself transmits the load tocenter rails 58.

[0096] While the trailer is described for use with a gooseneck hitchingassembly and a pickup shaft, the box beam construction of the inventionis equally applicable to other types of hitching mechanisms, e.g.,hooks, eyelets, or the like on the trailer, and other hitch mechanismson a hauling vehicle.

[0097] The invention also includes a method of lifting the trailerwherein, upon lifting, the box beam transmits the lifting load to acentral portion of the trailer bed. Alternatively, if the tapered outerside rails are employed, at least a portion of the load is transmittedto these side rails and then to the trailer bed. The box beamconstruction acts as means for transmitting the load due to trailerlifting to the center portion of the trailer bed so that the front endassembly can be reduced in sized as compared to prior art front endassemblies and permit loading of smaller equipment without compromisingthe load carrying capacity of the trailer front end assembly.

[0098] Another problem with the loading of heavy equipment on trailersis the phenomenon known as “crash-down.” When the piece of equipment isbeing loaded onto a trailer and is crossing from an inclined portion ofthe trailer to its flat bed portion, the junction between the twoportions acts like a fulcrum or break-over point. Once the piece ofequipment crosses the break over point, it can crash down onto the flatbed portion of the trailer. Since this equipment weighs hundreds oftons, and this weight is concentrated at the wheels or tracks of theequipment, the crash down force can be quite high, and damage to thetrailer bed, e.g., crushing of cross beams, at the point of impact canoccur. The crash down force can be excessively high if the operator ofthe equipment drives the equipment over the break-over point at too highof a rate of speed.

[0099] Typically, the prior art trailer bed is designed with center andouter rails, and the outer rails participate in load bearing. Oftentimes, the centerline of the weight bearing tracks or wheels of theequipment to be loaded coincides with the location of these outer rails.For example, a trailer may be 20 feet wide, and the equipment may beactually 23 feet wide, with track widths of several feet. In thissituation, the equipment is wider than the trailer and when the trackscrash down, they crash onto the outer rails of the trailer, and thecrash down force is adequately absorbed by the outer rails.

[0100] However, in other instances, the trailer is wider than the pieceof equipment that is being loaded. In this scenario, the trailer may be21 feet wide and the equipment may be 20 feet wide, with tracks that arethree feet wide. This leaves approximately a 6 inch spacing between anouter edge of the equipment tracks and an edge of the trailer. In thisinstance, the centerline of the tracks is not positioned over the outerrails of the trailer, and the cross beams of the trailer take the entirecrash down force. FIG. 11 illustrates this phenomenon wherein a drillingmachine 495 is about to pass over a break-over point 496 of a trailer497 using the low profile of the invention and crash down on the trailerbed at area 498. Although not shown in FIG. 11, the area 498 is spacedinward from the outside edge of the trailer; the area encompasses thelongitudinal decking that covers trailer cross beams, not the outsiderails. While the cross beams can be increased in size to account forthis problem, the cross beams are still are not as effective as theouter rails in absorbing the crash down force.

[0101] Therefore, there is a need to improve the trailer design of theprior art and the design of the trailer of FIGS. 1-9, and to minimize oreliminate the effect of crash down during trailer loading.

[0102] The present invention solves this problem through the use of anadditional longitudinal rail in the removable trailer bed side sectionsof the trailer as shown in FIGS. 5-10. Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13,trailer bed side sections embodying this aspect of the invention aredesignated by the reference numeral 501 and 502. Side section 501 isshown with the outer rail 503, outer cross beams 505, inner cross beams506, inner connecting plate 507 and attachment arrangements 509. Itshould be understood that FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 7 in showing twotypes of trailer bed side sections, each type using this aspect of theinvention. Thus, a further description of the details of the sidesections does not need to be repeated. Further and although notillustrated, the additional longitudinal rail concept can also beapplied to the removable side sections shown in FIG. 5 or any otherremovable trailer bed side section where crash down would be a problem.

[0103] The side section 501 shows the longitudinal side section rail asreference numeral 512. The rail 512 is spaced between the outer rail 503and the inner connection plate 507 and central rails 508. While thelateral spacing of rail 512 from vary between the outer rail 503 andcentral rails 508, a preferred spacing is one whereby the rail isaligned more or less with an anticipated longitude that coincides with aweight bearing longitude or centerline of equipment to be carried by thetrailer. For example, if the trailer is 21 feet wide, and the targetedheavy duty equipment for primary use with the trailer is 20 feet widewith tracks that are three foot wide, (the edges of the trackscoinciding with the equipment width and weight bearing centerlinefalling about 1.5 feet inward of the equipment edge), the centerline ofthe rail 512 would be placed about 2.5 feet from an edge of the trailer.This rail alignment would then allow the rail 512 to absorb the crashdown force when the equipment rides over the low profile section of thetrailer.

[0104]FIG. 13 is a view along the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 12, with themodification that the attachment arrangements are shown as the linkplate assembly 307 for both trailer sections, with one section attachedand one removed. This differs from FIG. 12 that shows the two types ofattachment arrangements as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 above. When installingthe rail 512, openings (not shown) are cut or otherwise made into itsrail web 514, and the inner cross beams 506 are threaded through theopenings. Then, each junction where the cross beams 506 intersect withthe 512 is welded using web stiffeners (not shown) or other means toenhance the connection between the rail 512 and cross beams 506. Thewelds are represented by 516 and form an integral side bed section. Therails 512 are also welded to the outer cross beams 505. Of course, otherattachment techniques could be used if so desired.

[0105] The combination of the removable side beds and longitudinal railsis also advantageous in that the cross beams are manipulated forthreading through openings in the rails 512, a relatively easy task,during trailer construction. To retrofit an existing trailer wherein thecross beams are already linked together as part of the constructedtrailer, the rail 512, rather than the cross beams, would have to bemanipulated so that the cross beams could pass through the openings inthe rail, a very difficult construction task.

[0106] Even though the presence of the low profile front end of thetrailer will reduce the crash down force as compared to prior artdesigns, (the leading edge of the equipment is not as far above thetrailer bed when the equipment is about to tilt onto the trailer bed),the rail 512 is still important in absorbing the crash down force, andpreventing it from being absorbed just by the cross beams 506. The crashdown force problem is drastically reduced or virtually eliminated by thepresence of both the low profile trailer front end and the longitudinalrails in the side bed sections.

[0107] An added benefit of this aspect of the invention is that theouter rails 503 of the side sections can be lighter duty since the loadof the equipment is borne by the rails 512. Thus, the cost of theadditional longitudinal rails in the removable bed sections is offset byreducing the duty on the outer rails. Of course, the outer rail 503could mimic the rail 512 configuration if so desired, but it ispreferred to make the outer rail 503 of lighter duty design, i.e.,smaller or thinner or the like, for the obvious benefits of material andcost savings.

[0108] In yet another embodiment of the invention, the inventive trailercan be used for both off-road and over-the-road applications as depictedin FIGS. 14-17. This is made possible with the use of the quickattachment suspension for the rear axle using pins and a link bar asshown in FIGS. 7 and 10 and the removable side bed features of theinvention as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. Referring to FIG. 7, the rear axlearrangement 450 allows for the removable attachment of the axle to thetrailer and the connections 307/409 allow for removal or attachment ofthe side bed portions 301/401. Thus, the center trailer portion with thebox beam construction and rails 315 can be made to match the maximumover-the-road width of 8 feet 6 inches, see FIG. 16.

[0109] The off-road configuration, wherein the trailer is nominally 20feet wide, is best seen in FIGS. 14 and 15. The off-road rear axlearrangement is designated by the reference numeral 600 and includes asingle axle 601 with double wheels 603 on each side of the axle frame605. The arrangement is attached to the trailer designated as 610, thetrailer 610 shown with the removable side portions 614 attached theretoby the pins and link bar arrangement 611 (shown schematically) whichcorresponds to that shown in FIGS. 7 and 10.

[0110] The pins and link bar arrangement can be employed forover-the-road use as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. The trailer bed 618 isattached by the pins and link bar arrangement to an over-the-roadmultiple axle hauler 620. The hauler 620 has two axle assemblies 621 and623, frames thereof represented schematically since they areconventional in nature. Each assembly 621 and 623 is shown with eighttires 630, two pairs for each axle, although other arrangements can alsobe employed. Assembly 621 links to the trailer 610 at 624 and theassembly 623 links to the assembly 621 at linkage 625. The linkage 625is conventional for these types of dual axle assemblies and does notrequire further description. The linkage 624 represents the quick attachdesign of FIGS. 7 and 10. While the hauler 620 representing multipleaxles for over-the-road hauling is used in combination with prior arttrailers, the present invention offers advantages by permitting the samelowboy trailer to be used for off-road and over-the-road use in a quickand efficient manner due to the quick attach suspension arrangementshown in FIGS. 7 and 10 and the removable side bed sections.

[0111] This capability is especially advantageous because theover-the-road configuration of FIG. 16 can be used to transport thelowboy trailer to a site and thus eliminate the steps of crating,shipping, unassembling, etc., an off-road trailer to the site as is donenow. The axle assembly 600 and removable side bed portions 310/410 canbe loaded onto the narrow trailer 618 and be hauled to the desired site.Once at the site, a crane can remove the axle assembly 600 and side bedportions from the trailer 618, and the dual axle assembly 620 can beunpinned and removed. The side bed portions and off-road axle assembly600 can be then easily attached to the trailer 618 and the lowboytrailer is now ready for off-road use. The axle assembly 620 can then bereturned using the vehicle that hauled the trailer to the site. Ofcourse, the side bed sections and off-road axle assembly could beshipped to the site separately if so desired, but it is much moreefficient to use the lowboy trailer in its over-the-road configurationfor hauling. The over-the-road configuration is also beneficial in thatthe lowboy trailer can be used to haul lighter duty items over the road.For example, with the dual over-the-road axle assemblies, the lowboytrailer 618 can merely haul items other than the off-road trailercomponents described above. Therefore, the trailer 618 ismultidimensional in its hauling ability.

[0112] Another aspect of the invention involves the use of an adapterblock in combination with the low profile trailer front end. Onedrawback of the inventive low profile trailer front end is that the towplate contact area 21, see FIGS. 4A and 4B, is disposed at a heightlower to the ground than what is normally found on a prior art trailer.Consequently, the tow of the gooseneck hitch intended to work with theinventive trailer must travel a greater distance before it contacts thetow plate contact area, and this increased travel of the tow results ina reduced lifting capability for the trailer.

[0113] In response to this drawback and to accommodate older stylegooseneck hitches, the low profile trailer can include an adapter blockassembly 700 that is mounted to a low profile trailer 701, see FIGS. 18and 19. The assembly 700 includes a pair of pivotable blocks 703, whichare l-shaped, but other shapes can be used. Each block 703 rotates abouta pin 705, with the pin mounted in the center and outside rails 707 and709. One end of each pin 705 extends beyond the trailer lateral sides711, with the pin end having a handle 713 that allows for rotation ofthe block 703 by an operator. While the blocks could be connected by onepin, for simultaneous rotation, it is preferred to separate the blocksso that an operator can rotate the blocks between their stored andoperating positions without some type of a mechanical assist. Of course,a mechanical assist could be used, when using one or two blocks.

[0114] The blocks 703 are positioned so that in the operating position,they would rest on a toe plate contact area 713, which can be reinforcedwith a lateral plate 715 extending between the rails 707 and 709 toaccommodate the load imposed when the tow contacts the blocks forlifting purposes.

[0115]FIG. 19 shows one block 703 in the operating position, with theblock in a stored position shown in phantom. In use, an operator wouldgrasp the handle 713 and rotate each block 703 from the stored positionto the operating position once the trailer is ready to be lifted. Thegooseneck hitch would be positioned for trailer lifting, and then wouldinteract with the adapter blocks as part of the lifting operation. Oncethe gooseneck hitch is removed from the trailer, an operator canreposition the blocks 703 into the stored position to clear the trailerbed for travel of equipment.

[0116] The blocks can be shaped/formed in any number of configurationsproviding that the configurations are designed to handle the loadimposed when the two contacts the blocks for trailer lifting. Forexample, the blocks could be a hollow type and be formed of parallelplates with end plates and one or more webs 716 for strength purposes.Alternatively, the blocks could be of solid construction, or acombination of solid and hollow construction. Further, while a pivotingarrangement is disclosed, other types of movable arrangements could beemployed whereby the blocks would move between an operative position toreceive the tow and a storage position where they would be out of theway for travel of equipment to be loaded on or unloaded from thetrailer, e.g., sliding, reciprocating or the like. While a pair ofadapter blocks are shown, one large one could be used and positionedbetween the center rails, although again, it may be difficult tomanually move the block without some mechanical assist.

[0117] In connection with the modular aspects of the invention, i.e.,removable side bed portions, and the removable axle assembly, anotherfeature of this modularity is an improved axle mounting arrangement.

[0118] In prior art trailers, it is common to form a bend in or “archup” the rails at the rear end of the trailer to provide a space for therear axles and accommodate their mounting. These mountings typicallyemploy springs or walking beams which are placed above the axles andmounted to the underside of the suspension rails.

[0119] Rails with bends in a rear portion thereof have also been used inthe prior art lowboy trailers described above; but in these cases, theaxles can be rigidly mounted to the suspension rails. Unlike many othertrailer designs, trailers that are designed for heavy duty equipment areof such a length that the trailer rails themselves act as a suspension,thereby allowing a rigid connection between the axles and the suspensionrails. These bend rail ends also serve as a rest for shovels or bucketsof equipment being hauled by the trailer and mounting locations forfenders. However, the configuration of the rails makes it difficult toeasily mount fenders while at the same time allowing a surface forresting pieces of the equipment being hauled.

[0120] The use of the bent rails in trailer construction is problematicin the manufacturing process. It is very time consuming and laborintensive to form two bends in each of the rails as shown in the priorart trailer of FIG. 1 and even the embodiments of the invention, see forexample FIGS. 6, 10, and 17. Thus, the elimination of the bend in theserails without compromising the trailer integrity and functionality wouldprovide a significant reduction in the cost of making the trailers.

[0121] The present invention solves this problem through the use of anaxle mounting assembly that allows the use of straight rails to supportthe rear axles for the trailer. In this way, there is no need forbending of the rails. The axle mounting assembly also offers moreflexibility in mounting of fenders for the wheels and providing restsfor buckets or the like of equipment.

[0122] Referring now to FIG. 20, one embodiment of the axle mountingassembly is shown as reference numeral 800. The assembly comprises apair of plates 801 (one shown). Each plate 801 is shaped to attach to arail 803 and receive a rear axle 805 via a rigid or suspensionlessmounting. In this embodiment, the assembly 800 is designed to be weldedto the rails 803 for a permanent mounting, although a removable mount isalso within the scope of the invention as described below.

[0123] The plate 801 is shaped with a recess 807 which can be customizedor shaped to fit the axle of choice when the plate is made. Mountingopenings 809 can be formed in the plate 801 for a bolted attachment ofthe axle 805 to the plate 801. Of course, other rigid attachments couldbe employed for mounting the axle 805 to the plate, the use of pins,welding or the like.

[0124] The plate can also be shaped to provide rest surfaces forequipment components and for attachment of fenders, if desired. In FIG.21, the plate 801 is formed with a pair of castles 811 which havesurfaces 813 rising above other surfaces of the plate. The surfaces 813can act as rests for a bucket or the like during trailer use. Ifdesired, one surface could be employed instead of a pair of surfaces.However, pairs of surfaces work well when using fenders as explainedbelow.

[0125] Each plate 801 has another recess 815, which is shaped tointerface with the end 817 of the straight rail 803, and welding 819 canbe employed to link the plates and rails together. The plates are easilymanufactured since the desired shape can be made by burning through aplate of larger dimension. This is a vast improvement in productivityand cost from bending the heavy duty rails as was done in the past.Another significant improvement is that the trailer mainbed and railscan be manufactured without the need to know the type and size of theaxle to be used. Thus, a number of mainbeds and rails could be made, andthen the plates 801 are sized once the axle type and size are known, foruse with a standard lot of mainbeds and rails.

[0126] FIGS. 21-25 show the axle mounting assembly as part of a rear endremovable assembly 821. Referring to FIG. 21, the assembly 821 includesplates 804 and a rear end base 823. Instead of attaching to the rail end817 as shown in FIG. 20, the plate 804 attaches to the base 823, and thebase 823 is removably mounted to the trailer end, similar to that shownin FIGS. 10 and 14-17. In the embodiment of FIGS. 21-25, the base has apair of flanges 825 each of which having openings 827 to engage pins 829in the rail ends 818. Of course, other ways can be employed to allow thebase 825 to be removably attached to the rail ends 818.

[0127] In FIGS. 24 and 25, a pair of fenders 831 and 832 are shown. Thefenders are configured to attach to the plates 804 via the mountingopenings 833 in the plates (see FIG. 22), and corresponding openings 835found in flanges 837 located along an underside of the fenders. Thefenders also have openings 839, which are positioned so that the castles811 extend therethrough and act as rests. The flanges 837 are located onthe underside so that they are adjacent the plates 804 so that thefenders can be bolted to the plates 804. The fenders 831,832 areconfigured to overlap as shown in FIG. 25 wherein one end 841 rests atopthe end 843. Each of the ends 841 and 843 includes an opening 845 whichallows the fenders 831 and 832 to be linked together with a fastenersuch as a bolt or the like.

[0128] The fenders 831 and 832 are preferably formed to have threesegments, a generally horizontal segment 847, an angled segment 849, anda generally vertical segment 851. This shape gives the fender strengthin the lateral direction of the trailer so that it can cantilever fromthe attachment point at the plates 804 towards and over the tires, thuseliminating the need for any other supports other than the plates 804.

[0129] Referring back to FIGS. 21-23, the base 823 can also include abox formed by an opening 855 in the base top, a box floor plate 857, andwebs 858 forming the sides of the base 823. This box can be used tostore chains, or other items that may be used in conjunction with thetrailer.

[0130] It should be understood that other attachment schemes could beemployed for securing the fenders to the plates 804, and that thefenders are optional if the particular application did not need them.Likewise, the castles are optional if the trailer would not be intendedfor use where a resting place at the trailer rear would be needed.

[0131] Another advantage to the axle mounting embodiment of theinvention is ease of transportation. As with the removable axle assemblyof FIG. 10, the components of the axle mounting embodiment aredimensioned to easily fit within the dimensional maximums of 7.5 feet by38 feet as is used standard containers for transporting items. Forexample, by using two fenders, each fender is dimensioned for easytransport, whereas a single fender would not meet the narrow dimensionlimitation of 7.5 feet.

[0132] As such, an invention has been disclosed in terms of preferredembodiments thereof which fulfills each and every one of the objects ofthe present invention as set forth above and provides a new and improvedtrailer, trailer front end assembly, and method of use and assembly.

[0133] Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations fromthe teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scopethereof. It is intended that the present invention only be limited bythe terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a trailer having a front loading end, atrailer bed, and a rear wheeled end, the trailer having a number oflongitudinally aligned trailer bed support rails, and a front endassembly, the front end assembly having a pick up shaft arrangement, ahitch contact area, and opposing ramp sections, the improvementcomprising a tapered box beam extending from the pickup shaftarrangement, linking to a center end portion of the trailer bed, thecenter portion spaced from sides of the trailer bed, the tapered boxbeam including at least two tapered box beam rails, an end of eachtapered box beam rail aligned with a respective trailer bed supportrail, the box beam using the at least two tapered box beam rails aswalls thereof, the box beam having top and bottom portions, the topportion including the hitch contact area.
 2. The trailer of claim 1,further comprising at least a pair of tapered side rails, the at leasttwo tapered box beam rails disposed between the tapered side rails, andcross members interconnecting the side rails, successive heights of thecross members following the tapers of the side rails and the at leasttwo tapered box beam rails.
 3. In a method of lifting a lowboy trailerhaving a trailer bed and using a gooseneck hitch, wherein a hook of thehitch couples to a pickup shaft, and a tow member of the hitch applies alifting force to the trailer front end assembly to pivot the gooseneckand raise the trailer, the improvement comprising: providing a taperedbox beam that extends from the pickup shaft along a trailer length; andlifting the trailer end using the gooseneck hitch whereby the taperedbox beam distributes the lifting load along the box beam length and to acentral end portion of the trailer bed that is spaced from the sides ofthe trailer bed.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the tapered box beamincludes tapered side rails connected together by cross members taperedin height to match a taper of the box beam, and the lifting stepdistributes load to at least a portion of the tapered sides rails viathe cross members.
 5. In a trailer having a front loading end and a rearwheeled end, the trailer having a number of longitudinally alignedtrailer load support rails, and a front end assembly, the front endassembly having a pick up shaft arrangement, a hitch contact area, andopposing ramp sections, the improvement comprising means fordistributing the lifting load along a center portion of the front endassembly, and then distributing at least a portion of the lifting loadto a center portion of an end of a trailer bed of the trailer, thecenter portion spaced from sides of the trailer bed.
 6. The trailer ofclaim 5, further comprising means to distribute the lifting loadlaterally of the center portion and then to outer portions of the end ofthe trailer bed.
 7. In a trailer having a front loading end and a rearwheeled end, the trailer having a number of longitudinally alignedtrailer load support rails, and a front end assembly, the front endassembly having a pick up shaft arrangement, hitch contact area, andopposing ramp sections, the improvement comprising: a central box beamincluding top and bottom portions, and at least tapered box beam railsas walls of the box beam, the central box beam extending from the pickupshaft arrangement to at least a trailer bed front portion, the at leasttwo support rails aligned with two central support rails that furtherextend a length of the trailer; a trailer bed assembly comprising a pairof trailer bed side sections and cross members, each trailer bed sidesection linked to the central support rails via the cross members; and apair of ramp sections adapted to be removably attachable to the trailerbed assembly at the trailer bed front portion, the box beamlongitudinally disposed between the ramp sections.
 8. The trailer ofclaim 7, wherein the cross members extend through the center supportrails or extend laterally and outwardly from the center support rails.9. The trailer of claim 7, further comprising at least one axle assemblyattached to the at least two trailer support rails or a removable axleassembly attached to ends of the center support rails.
 10. A method ofconstructing a front end loading trailer comprising: providing a centralbox beam including top and bottom portions, and at least two taperedsupport rails, the central box beam extending from a pickup shaftarrangement to at least a trailer bed front portion, the at least twotapered support rails aligned with center support rails that extend alength of the trailer; providing trailer bed side sections, andattaching the trailer bed side section to cross members linked to thecenter support rails.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the crossmembers extend through the center support rails, or extend laterally andoutwardly from the center support rails.
 12. The method of claim 10,further comprising attaching a ramp section to either or both of thecentral box beam or the trailer bed assembly, the box beam disposedlongitudinally between the ramp sections.
 13. The trailer of claim 1,wherein the ramp sections can be removed and reinstalled from thetrailer.
 14. The trailer or method of claims 1-12, wherein the taperedrails have webs and opposing flanges, and the flanges form part of thetop and bottom portions of the box beam.
 15. The trailer of claim 8 ormethod of claim 12, wherein the side bed sections use link plates andpins or openingcontaining flanges and pins to connect to the crossmembers.
 16. The trailer of claim 7 or method of claim 11, wherein eachside bed section includes a longitudinal rail between sides thereof, thelongitudinal rail positioned to absorb crash down forces during trailerloading.
 17. The trailer or method of claim 16, wherein the side bedsections have outer side rails which are lighter in duty than thelongitudinal rail.
 18. The trailer of claim 6, further comprising aremovable axle assembly attached to ends of the center support rails,and wherein the removable axle assembly is a single assembly for offroaduse or a dual assembly for over-the-road use, one of the dual assembliesattached to ends of the center support rails.
 19. The method of claim10, further comprising the step of providing a removable axle assemblyattached to ends of the center support rails.
 20. The method of claim19, wherein the removable axle assembly is a single off-road use axleassembly or a dual over-the-road use axle assembly, one of the dual axleassemblies attached to ends of the center support rails.
 21. The methodof claim 20, wherein, prior to attaching the trailer bed side sectionsto the center rails, the method further comprises the steps of: a)configuring the trailer with the center box beam and center rails with awidth to allow over-the road travel and thus forming an over-the roadtrailer; b) attaching the dual over-the-road use axle assembly to theover-the road trailer; c) driving the over-the road trailer to a site sothat the trailer bed side sections and single off-road use assembly canbe attached to the over-the road trailer to make it an off-road trailer.22. The method of claim 21, wherein one or both of the single off-roaduse axle assembly and trailer bed side sections are loaded onto theover-the-road trailer prior to the driving step.
 23. The trailer ofclaim 1, further comprising one of a multiple axle over-the roadassembly or an off-road axle assembly are removably attached to an endof the trailer.
 24. The trailer or method of any one of claims 1-23,further comprising at least one adapter block mounted to the trailer formovement between a stored and an operating position, the block restingon a top surface portion of the trailer in the operating position, theblock having a two receiving surface for trailer lifting.
 25. Thetrailer or method of claim 24, further comprising a pair of adapterblocks, each adapter block separately pivotable between the stored andoperating positions.
 26. The trailer of claims 1, 5, or 7 or the methodof claims 3 and 10, wherein the trailer support rails are straight at anrear end portion thereof, and further comprising a pair of rear axlemounting plates adapted to connect to respective rear ends of thetrailer support rails in a vertical orientation, the rear axle mountingplates adapted to rigidly support a rear axle.
 27. The trailer or methodof claim 26, wherein the axle mounting plate is welded to the rear endsor removably attached thereto.
 28. The trailer or method of claims 26 or27, wherein the plates include surfaces for resting of one of morecomponents being hauled on the trailer.
 29. The trailer or method ofclaims 26-28, further comprising fenders mounted to and extendinglaterally across the rear axle mounting plates.
 30. The trailer ormethod of claim 29, wherein portions of the plates containing theresting surfaces extend through openings in the fenders.